freespirit_

Hello everyone! I've browsed through some other threads and done a bit of research, and it seems like the consensus is that this bike isn't worth more than $25. I have someone who's trying to sell it to me for $200. They're claiming that it's only a year old and that his neighbours paid $500-$600 for it last year. That seems completely implausible to me, but I don't know all that much about bikes. The rims on the tires say '1982' on them; why would someone buy a brand new bike last year and put decades-old rims on them? I couldn't find any retailers who still sell the 'Sears Free Spirit', so how could they have just bought it last year? I would really appreciate some expert opinions on how old the bike actually is and what it's actually worth so I can call this person out, armed with facts! Thank you so much in advance!!!

Click here for photos!

howsteepisit

Hes lying. Bike is no newer than the early 1980's and I'd suspect older than that. It is in really nice shape, but with the steel rims I'd say 100-150 max value.

dweenk

It is a nice Free Spirit - very clean - but not made in Austria. I think that probably Huffy made it. I would not pay more than $40 (and offer $20) if i wanted to ride it, or give it to someone who needed a bike. Other than as a rider; I would walk away, it has no classic value.

oddjob2

Why bother?

zukahn1 

About $100 or so in value considering the really nice condition, which is pretty much top dollar for a low end step through.

freespirit_

It's a bit of a long story... About a year ago, I posted an ad online asking for help finding an appropriately-sized bike, as I had been having trouble doing so being such a newbie to biking. (I found a used bike that I was riding daily, but it was too big and started causing me knee pain.) He responded to the ad and took me around to some bike shops. We found the perfect bike, but he told me not to buy it. Instead, he said he would help me find a comparable used bike so I can save money, since I am a full-time student. I got too busy with my studies to meet up with him again last year, and winter was also about to start.

Anyway, he called me up again this spring and told me that he found the perfect bike for me. I met up with him and tried it out. I didn't feel comfortable on it because it was a bit on the big side, was somewhat creaky, and the breaks were squealing. He argued with me about it being the perfect bike, telling me that he didn't get why I would ask for help and then not accept his advice, etc. I told him that the bike didn't look like it was only a year old, and he repeated the story about his neighbours buying it brand new last year.

I told him I would take the bike but didn't have the money yet, as I was expecting to receive the next installment of my student loans in 1-2 weeks. He said I could take the bike home that day and that I could meet up with him again when I had the money to pay for it. He said he would place a deposit with his neighbours in the meantime. During the span of our conversation, he said he would tell his neighbours that he would give them $200 for the bike, then $220, then $250. I asked him why he kept raising the price, and he said that he didn't want to seem cheap. He added that I could just give him $200 and that he would pay the extra $50 out of his own pocket. All that was kind of sketchy, especially the way I felt pressured to take the bike and the price changing every five minutes, so I figured I'd do some research. Thank you all so much for your feedback!!! Now I can call him out on trying to put one over on me when I meet with him tomorrow to give back the bike!

I bought a nice new bike (<- click for photo) that I'm enjoying very much. I would rather shell out a few extra bucks and actually ride my bike than save money and just store it in the garage! I plan to start commuting with it to and from university (about 13 km each way) to get myself into shape.

jimmie65

Scam artist, for sure. Meet in a public place.

freespirit_

The good news is that I started to doubt the value of the bike before any money changed hands! I took it for a short 10-minute ride each way to and from a coffee shop to get some studying done, and it was creaking and squealing the whole time... I know he's going to confront me about saying I would take it (during what I felt was an overly aggressive sales pitch for someone who's 'just trying to help'), then changing my mind. I'm meeting with him this afternoon to give him back the bike. I hope he doesn't make a scene... Now I'll be able to hold my own in the inevitable debate/argument thanks to you guys! Thanks again!

freespirit_

Definitely! We're meeting at a major bus station!

freespirit_

Thanks for the advice! That'll be the plan, but I'm not sure that it'll work. He'll for sure try to guilt me about turning down his help. It further complicates matters that he invited me to lunch twice already ('to talk about bikes'). I was perfectly OK with paying for my own meal, but he insisted on paying. He also wants me to go riding on bike trails with him once a week... He's almost as old as my dad and conversations with him are very one-sided, so I'm not super interested. Somehow I always seem to get myself into the weirdest situations... *sigh*

freespirit_

So that was rather unpleasant... He gave me a 10-minute lecture about how I was rude, ungrateful, and ignorant... This rant included suggesting that my parents didn't teach me manners and that I wasn't respectable. Then he demanded that I pay him back for the lunches that he had invited me to. I would've just left, but I had to wait for my bus...

jimmie65

Two words - pepper spray.

howsteepisit

What a turd.

FRANK CANNON

Troll.

gOT ONE FOR SURE, NICE FISHING.

freespirit_

Um, if you're referring to me, I wasn't trolling.

freespirit_

Thanks! I'm glad there are conscientious bike people like you guys who are willing to give a newbie some advice! Thank you all so much (except for that last rude guy who for some reason thinks I'm a troll...?!)!